In a mass ticket checking drive, Salem Division of Southern Railway, realised an amount of over Rs.3.37 lakh as ticket fare and penalties, the highest ever collected by way of ticket checking on a single day, since the inception of the division in 2007.

The checking was held on April 2, involving 231 commercial branch staff, in all the railway stations of the Division including Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Podanur and Karur. The previous highest collection was Rs. 2,47,025 on March 3 2017.

Totally, 766 cases were booked on April 2, of which 755 cases were under improper ticketing/ticketless (realized amount being Rs.3,33,870), and 11 cases were under un-booked luggage and other cases (realized amount being Rs.3,725), totalling to Rs.3,37,595.

The highest collection by a single ticket checking staff was by M. Mano Selvam of Salem Ticket Checking Squad, who realized a sum of Rs.35,780.

The drive was in continuation of its efforts in reducing the challenge of ticket less travelling, and inculcating the habit of buying tickets among the rail users, the commercial branch officials under the supervision of Salem Divisional Commercial Manager, K Madhu, undertook intensive ticket checking Divisional Railway Manager, Hari Shankar Verma, appreciated the regular steps being taken by Divisional Commercial Manager Vijuvin and his team of officers and staff, in bringing down the instances of ticketless travelling, and advised them to continue the intensive ticket checking drives on a regular basis.